This invention relates generally to scrub pads suitable for medical use and, more particularly, to a scrub pad consisting of a flat laminate of initially compressed-in-thickness cellulose sponge material and a thin layer of an abrasive fabric bonded thereto, and methods for producing the same.
Scrub pads consisting in whole or in part of cellulose sponge material are available in a variety of forms, the characteristics of which largely depend on their intended use, ranging from pads consisting of only cellulose sponge material in sheet form, either expanded or compressed, to expanded sponge materials having an abrasive backing, such as the "Rescue" and "Scotch Brite" scrub pads marketed by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company.
Another type of available cleaning pad consists of a ball of entangled synthetic resin fibers, specific examples of which are the product marketed under the trademark "Tuffy" by the Household Products Division of Miles Laboratories, Inc. of Chicago, Ill., and the pad manufactured by Glencourt Inc. of Walnut Creek, Calif. and sold under the tradename "Jumbo Scourer" and labeled a "knitted plastic mesh". Such pads are used primarily for the scrubbing of dishes, pots and pans and generally are too abrasive to be used in medical applications even if the synethetic resin fibers were otherwise medically acceptable.
Cellulose sponges are commercially available and widely used for medical purposes, such as in operating rooms, because they can be sterilized and are capable of absorbing a large amount of liquid (e.g., an antiseptic washing solution). However, because of the soft texture of the sponge when wet, it is not sufficiently abrasive to effectively remove inground dirt, grime or blood from a wound or from the hands of the doctor. Available sponge products with abrasive backings, such as the above-mentioned "Rescue" and "Scotch Brite" pads, are not acceptable for medical purposes, creating a need for a medically acceptable scrub pad capable of releasably absorbing substantial quantities of washing liquid and also having an abrasive surface. Additionally, the pad should be as thin as possible for minimizing the space required for storing a reasonable supply of sponges and, indirectly to reduce the cost of shipping and storage. This requirement is of particular significance to the operation of the far-flung medical facilities of the Armed Services of the United States which often requires shipment, on short notice, of sponge products to containerized hospitals around the world; the physical size of the expanded cellulose sponges heretofore available has caused concern not only in the respect of shipping costs, but the space required for their storage and the cost of providing such space in a facility already cramped for space.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved sponge scrub pad suitable for medical use which has an abrasive surface and a smaller volume than previously available sponges.
Another object of the invention is to provide relatively simple and inexpensive processes for manufacturing the improved scrub pad.